The present invention relates to a game system provided with a message exchange function.
In recent years, many game machines are provided with a communication function, and a variety of game softwares capable of exchanging data or playing match-up games by utilizing this communication function are offered.
However, the conventional game machines have been positioned as a simple network terminal cheaper than the personal computer, that can be operated without special knowledge, and characteristics as a game machine have not been utilized sufficiently.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a game system and a message exchange system capable of message exchange taking profit of functions proper to the game machine, and a computer readable storage medium appropriate for them.
Now, the present invention will be described. Reference numbers in the attached drawing will be added between parentheses to facilitate the understanding of the invention; however the invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment thereby.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a game system comprising: a first game apparatus (1) including a device for creating a message (4, 10) and a device (10) for transmitting the created message; and a second game apparatus (1) including a reception device (10) of said message and a display control device (10) for displaying the received message on a screen of a predetermined display apparatus (3), wherein said second game apparatus includes a game execution device (10) for making a user play a predetermined game, and a display permission control device (10) for prohibiting to display at least a part of said message until a predetermined condition is met in said game, and permitting to display the prohibited part of said message when said condition is met.
According to this game system, at least a part of a received message is not displayed, unless the message receiver plays a predetermined game and a predetermined condition is satisfied. This allows to add an entertainment to the message reading, and to enjoy exchanging message compared to the case of simple message exchange. In addition, even when a same game is repeated, the message displayed as a result of playing is different each time, preventing the user from losing interest in the repetition of the game, maintaining the charm of the game for a long time.
In the above described game system, said display permission control device may expand the display permitted range of said message as said game progresses. In this way, the message contents is revealed progressively as the game progresses, allowing to maintain the interest of the receiving user securely.
Said second game apparatus may comprise a music reproduction device (10, 7) for selecting and reproducing any one piece of music among a plurality of pieces of music prepared beforehand, said game execution device (10) is composed to make the user play a game requiring an operation related to the piece of music to be reproduced by said music reproduction device, and said first game apparatus is provided with a music designation device (10) for designating the piece of music to be reproduced by said music reproduction device of said second game apparatus in relation to said message.
According to this game system, as the sender can designate the piece of music to be used in the reception side game, the message can include information that can not be transferred only by characters by designating a piece of music appropriate for the message contents or the feeling at the time of transmission.
The game execution device of said second game apparatus may comprise, an operation instruction device (10, 3) showing a series of operations to an input device provided in said second game apparatus to the user through the screen of said display apparatus, based on operation instruction data prepared beforehand, and an evaluation device (10) for evaluating each one of said series of operations, based on the level of agreement of each one of the series of operations designated by said operation instruction device, and individual operation actually performed by the user to said input apparatus, a correspondence is established between each one of said series of operations and each character of said message, and said display permission control device permits to display the character corresponding to the operation to which an evaluation equal or superior to a predetermined level is afforded by said evaluation device, and prohibits to display the character corresponding to the operation to which an evaluation inferior to said predetermined level is afforded by said evaluation device.
According to this game system, when the user follows exactly each one of the series of operations designated through the screen of the display apparatus, an evaluation equal or superior to the predetermined level is afforded to the operations, and characters related to the operations are displayed as a reward. Accordingly, the condition for displaying the message is easy to understand for the user.
Said first game apparatus may be provided with a device (10, 4) for creating data designating the correspondence between each one of said series of operations and each character of said message, said message transmission device is capable of transmitting said data designating the correspondence along with said message, and said reception device of said second game apparatus can receive said data designating the correspondence with said message.
According to this case, as data designating the correspondence between each character of said message and the operations in a game is created by message transmission side, the reception side is required only to play the game based on the data.
Said device for creating data designating the correspondence may comprise an operation selection device (10) for selecting an operation as an object to be allocated with a character from each one of the series of operations defined by said operation instruction data, based on the instruction by said user; and an allocation character decision device (10) for deciding at least one character to be allocated from said created message to the operation selected by said operation selection device based on the instruction by the user. According to this invention, the user as a sender can define said correspondence at their own discretion.
Said device for creating data designating the correspondence may comprise a character extraction device (10) for extracting automatically at least one character from said created message independently of the instruction by the user, and an operation selection device (10) for selecting automatically an operation to which said extracted character is to be allocated from each one of the series of operations defined by said operation instruction data independently of the instruction by the user. According to this embodiment, said correspondence is created automatically without user""s instruction.
Said second game apparatus may be provided with a device for creating data designating the correspondence between each one of said series of operations and each character of said message, said device for creating data designating the correspondence comprises: a character extraction device (10) for extracting automatically at least one character from said created message independently of the instruction by the user, and an operation selection device (10) for selecting automatically an operation to which said extracted character is to be allocated from each one of the series of operations defined by said operation instruction data independently of the instruction by the user. In this case, said correspondence is set according to the message received by the second game apparatus side. Consequently, the sender is not required to take the correspondence into the consideration.
Said second game apparatus may comprise a music reproduction device (10,7) for selecting and reproducing any one piece of music among a plurality of pieces of music prepared beforehand, and operation instruction data is created individually for each one of said plurality of pieces of music. According to this case, one can enjoy the game attuning a piece of music.
Said first game apparatus may be provided with a music designation device (10) for designating the piece of music to be reproduced by said music reproduction device of said second game apparatus in relation to said message. Consequently, the message sender can designate by themselves a piece of music according to the message contents or their feelings at the moment of transmission.
Said second game apparatus may allow to execute said game within a predetermined play range until said message becomes a predetermined display status. Consequently, even when a message can not be read within a single game, the message can be read by playing the game repeatedly.
Said second game apparatus may allow to execute said game within a predetermined play range until said message becomes a predetermined display status, and in the second game and thereafter, said operation instruction device instructs to the user those operations to which an evaluation equal or superior to said predetermined level was afforded in the past games and those operations to which an evaluation equal or superior to said predetermined level was not afforded in different forms.
According to this case, in the second game and thereafter, as those operations to which an evaluation equal or superior to said predetermined level was already afforded and those operations not afforded can be distinguished, the user can play the game concentrating their attention on those operations to which an evaluation equal or superior to said predetermined level is not afforded.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a game apparatus allowing to exchange message, comprising: an input apparatus (4) for outputting a signal corresponding to the user operation; a display apparatus (3) allowing to display a predetermined game screen (210); a reception device (10) for receiving an external message; a display control device (10) for displaying the received message on the screen of said display apparatus; a game execution device (10) for making a user play a predetermined game through said game screen, and a display permission control device (10) for prohibiting to display at least a part of said message until a predetermined condition is met in said game, and allowing to display the prohibited part of said message when said condition is met. According to this invention, a game apparatus appropriate for the game system of claim 1 can be provided.
Said display permission control device may expand the display permitted range of said message as said game progresses.
The game apparatus may further comprise a music reproduction device for selecting and reproducing any one piece of music among a plurality of pieces of music prepared beforehand, wherein said game execution device is composed to make the user play a game related to the piece of music to be reproduced by said music reproduction device, said reception device can receive information designating the piece of music to be reproduced by said music reproduction device in relation to said message, and said music reproduction device reproduces the piece of music designated in relation to the message, when a game corresponding to said received message is executed.
Said game execution device may comprise: an operation instruction device (10) showing a series of operations to an input device provided in said second game apparatus to the user through the screen of said display apparatus, based on operation instruction data prepared beforehand; and an evaluation device (10) for evaluating each one of said series of operations, based on the level of agreement of each one of the series of operations designated by said operation instruction device, and individual operation actually performed by the user to said input apparatus, a correspondence is established between each one of said series of operations and each character of said message, and said display permission control device permits to display the character corresponding to the operation to which an evaluation equal or superior to said predetermined level is afforded by said evaluation device, and prohibits to display the character corresponding to the operation to which an evaluation inferior to said predetermined level is afforded by said evaluation device.
The game apparatus may receive said data designating the correspondence between each one of said series of operations and each character of said message from outside with said message, and said display permission control device controls permission and prohibition of said display based on the data designating said correspondence.
The game apparatus may comprise as a device for creating data designating the correspondence between each one of said series of operations and each character of said message: a character extraction device (10) for extracting automatically at least one character from said received message independently of the instruction by the user; and an operation selection device (10) for selecting automatically an operation to which said extracted character is to be allocated from each one of the series of operations defined by said operation instruction data independently of the instruction by the user.
The game apparatus may be capable of executing said game within a predetermined play range until said message becomes a predetermined display status.
The game apparatus,may be capable of executing said game within a predetermined play range until said message becomes a predetermined display status, wherein in the second game and thereafter, said operation instruction device instructs to the user those operations to which an evaluation equal or superior to said predetermined level was afforded in the past games and those operations to which an evaluation equal or superior to said predetermined level was not afforded in different forms.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a message exchange system comprising a first terminal apparatus (1) including a device for creating a message (4, 10) and a device (10) for transmitting the created message; and a second terminal apparatus (1) including a reception device of said message (10) and a display control device (10) for displaying the received message on the screen of a predetermined display apparatus (3), wherein said second terminal apparatus includes a game execution device (10) for making a user play a predetermined game, and a display permission control device (10) for prohibiting to display at least a part of said message until a predetermined condition is met in said game, and allowing to display the display prohibited part of said message when said condition is met.
According to this message exchange system, similarly to the above described game system, at least a part of received message is not displayed unless the message receiver plays a predetermined game and a predetermined condition is satisfied. This allows to add an entertainment to the message reading, and to enjoy exchanging message compared to the case of simple message exchange. In addition, even when a same game is repeated, message displayed as a result of playing is different each time, preventing the user from losing interest in the repetition of game, maintaining the charm of the game for a long time.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer readable storage medium (17) storing a program for making a computer (10) provided in a game apparatus (1) function as a reception device for receiving an external message, a display control device for displaying the received message on the screen of a predetermined display apparatus (3), a game execution device for making a user to play a predetermined game through the screen of said display apparatus, and a display permission control device for prohibiting to display at least a part of said message until a predetermined condition is met in said game, and allowing to display the prohibited part of said message when said condition is met. According to this storage medium, it is possible to provide the above described game apparatus by reading the program stored in the storage medium by a computer and executing it.
In the storage medium of the present invention, the following features can be added.
Said display permission control device may expand the display permitted range of said message as said game progresses.
Said program may be composed to make said computer (10) function as a device for selecting any one piece of music among a plurality of pieces of music prepared beforehand and making it reproduced by a reproduction apparatus (7) of the game apparatus, said game execution device may composed to make the user execute an operation related to the piece of music to be reproduced by said reproduction apparatus, and said reception device can receive information designating the piece of music to be reproduced by said music reproduction device in relation to said message along with said massage, and said device for reproducing may make the piece of music designated in relation to the message be reproduced, when a game corresponding to said received message is executed.
Said game execution device may comprise an operation instruction device showing a series of operations to said input device to the user through the screen of said display apparatus, based on operation instruction data prepared beforehand, and an evaluation device for evaluating each one of said series of operations, based on the level of agreement of each one of the series of operations designated by said operation instruction device, and individual operations actually performed by the user to said input apparatus, a correspondence may be established between each one of said series of operations and each character of said message, and said display permission control device may permit to display the character corresponding to the operation to which an evaluation equal or superior to said predetermined level is afforded by said evaluation device, and prohibits to display the character corresponding to the operation to which an evaluation inferior to said predetermined level is afforded by said evaluation device.
Said reception device can receive said data designating the correspondence between each one of said series of operations and each character of said message from outside with said message, and said display permission control device may control permission and prohibition of said display based on the data designating said correspondence.
Said program may composed to make said computer function as a device for creating data designating the correspondence between each one of said series of operations and each character of said message, said device for creating data may comprise a character extraction device for extracting automatically at least one character from said created message independently of the instruction by the user, and an operation selection device for selecting automatically an operation to which said extracted character is to be allocated from each one of the series of operations defined by said operation instruction data independently of the instruction by the user.
Said program may be composed to permit to repeat said game within a predetermined play range until said message becomes a predetermined display status.
Said program may be composed to permit to repeat said game within a predetermined play range until said message becomes a predetermined display status, and in the second game and thereafter, said operation instruction device may instruct to the user those operations to which an evaluation equal or superior to said predetermined level was afforded in the past games and those operations to which an evaluation equal or superior to said predetermined level was not afforded indifferent forms.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer readable storage medium (17) storing respectively a program for making a computer (10) provided in a game apparatus (1) function as a message transmission apparatus, and a program for making the computer function as a reception apparatus for receiving said external message, wherein said program for making said computer function as a transmission apparatus is composed to make the computer function as a message creation device and a device for transmitting the created message respectively, and said program for making said computer function as a receiving apparatus is composed to make said computer function as a reception device for receiving an external message, a display control device for displaying the received message on the screen of a predetermined display apparatus, a game execution device for making a user to play a predetermined game through the screen of said display apparatus, and a display permission control device for prohibiting to display at least a part of said message until a predetermined condition is met in said game, and allowing to display the prohibited part of said message when said condition is met.
According to this storage medium, a game machine can function either as the first game apparatus or as the second game apparatus of the above described game system.
In the aforementioned invention, the storage device and the storage medium include magnetic storage medium such as hard disk storage device, floppy disk storage device or others, optical storage medium or photo-magnetic storage medium such as CD-ROM, semiconductor storage medium such as RAM and RM, and various other storage media. The musical direction in the present invention includes not only acts to add directional effect by sound or light to a completed piece of music, but also an act to complete a piece of music by a player playing a part of the piece of music.